Posts Tagged ‘Marco Rubio’

Newscast Media WASHINGTON—Congressman Mike Turner (R-Ohio) introduced the Taxpayer Nondiscrimination & Protection Act of 2013 on Tuesday that would amend Title 18 of the U.S. Code, making it a crime for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to discriminate against anyone (individual or group) based on their constitutionally protected rights of political speech and expression. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) will introduce a similar legislation on Wednesday.

“Americans of all political beliefs have been rightly outraged by the revelation of the IRS’ efforts to target certain political organizations,” said Turner in a statement. “The fact that this could occur with little to no corrective action against those who seek to silence their fellow citizens is unacceptable. That’s why I’m taking immediate action and introducing this bill.”

IRS employees are already prohibited from discriminating against individuals and groups based on protected speech, but this bill would increase the penalty IRS employees could receive. If signed into law, employees, would face a fine of up to $5,000, five years in prison, or both.

This legislation is a swift response to facts reported on by the Associated Press that IRS officials were targeting conservative groups as early as June 2011 – at least nine months prior to when the IRS told lawmakers that no such targeting was occurring. An IRS official recently acknowledged that the agency had in fact flagged 75 conservative groups for scrutinized review because their names included “tea party” or “patriot.”

“A government organization like the IRS discriminating against political organizations is an outrageous abuse of power, and the American people have every right to demand answers and accountability,” Rubio said in a statement.

“Those responsible individuals should face all appropriate punishment available under current law, and all organizations and individuals who engage in political speech and expression should be protected against this kind of discriminatory behavior in the future. I commend Congressman Turner for championing this legislation in the House and hope our colleagues will join us in providing protections to deter this kind of governmental abuse from happening again.”

Rubio also sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew demanding the resignation of the current IRS Commissioner. “The American people deserve answers about how such seemingly unconstitutional and potentially criminal behavior could occur, and who else was aware of it throughout the Administration,” Rubio wrote. “If investigations reveal that bureaucrats or political appointees engaged in unconstitutional or criminal targeting of conservative taxpayers, they must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Newscast Media WASHINGTON, DC—The nation’s problems cannot be solved by more government spending, Republicans complained in response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) delivered the Republican response and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) delivered the Tea Party response Tuesday night.

Both Paul and Rubio argued that it is liberty that makes the United States an exceptional nation and warned that the current direction of government policy threatens that exceptionalism.

America was founded upon a belief that people are not trapped in the socioeconomic class they are born into, Rubio explained. “America is exceptional because we believe that every life, at every stage, is precious, and that everyone everywhere has a God-given right to go as far as their talents and hard work will take them.”

“America is exceptional because we were founded upon the notion that everyone should be free to pursue life, liberty, and happiness,” Paul said.

Rubio spoke about growing up the son of working class immigrants. What gave him the opportunity to become successful, even from his humble beginnings, was the free enterprise system, he said. A free enterprise economy is the source of middle class prosperity, Rubio insisted, but Obama believes “it’s the cause of our problems.”

“What the president fails to grasp is that the American system that rewards hard work is what made America so prosperous,” Paul concurred.

When Paul spoke about the “sequester,” a set of automatic spending cuts, or, in some cases, reductions in the rate of growth in government programs, set to go into effect next month, he demonstrated where he has differences with some in his own party.

Half of the cuts will be in the Department of Defense budget. Many Republicans would prefer to prevent those cuts from going into effect. Paul, though, believes they do not go far enough in reducing government spending.

“Few people understand that the sequester doesn’t even cut any spending. It just slows the rate of growth,” Paul complained. “Even with the sequester, government will grow over $7 trillion over the next decade. Only in Washington could an increase of $7 trillion in spending over a decade be called a cut.”

There is plenty of bipartisanship in Washington, Paul added, because “both parties have been guilty of spending too much, of protecting their sacred cows, of backroom deals in which everyone up here wins, but every taxpayer loses.”

Both Paul and Rubio also advocated school choice programs in their speeches and highlighted how they can help the poor and disadvantaged.

“A great education needs to be available for everyone, whether you live on country club lane or in government housing,” Paul said. “This will only happen when we allow school choice for everyone, rich or poor, white, brown, or black.”

“We need to give all parents, especially the parents of children with special needs, the opportunity to send their children to the school of their choice,” Rubio remarked.

Immigration reform will be one of the main issues tackled by the new Congress. Rubio is one of those leading that effort in the Senate. Both responses spoke about the need for an immigration system that strengthens the economy.Rubio said the country can “help our economy grow” with “a legal immigration system that allows us to attract and assimilate the world’s best and brightest.”

He also mentioned the need for a “responsible, permanent solution” for current unauthorized immigrants, and the need for border security. Republicans must be the party that “embraces the immigrant,” Paul said, because it is the party that “embraces hard work and ingenuity.”

Newscast Media WASHINGTON, D.C.—After being featured on the cover of TIME magazine that dubbed him the “Savior” of the Republican Party, Senator Marco Rubio didn’t seem too amused with such an elevation and took to Twitter to declare who the true savior is.

“There is only one savior, and it’s not me. #Jesus”, Rubio tweeted.

Rubio's tweet

The magazine cover with the sub-title “How Marco Rubio became the new voice of the GOP” can be viewed here.

GOP leaders chose Rubio to deliver the official Republican response to Barack Obama’s State of the Union address next week, in both English and Spanish.

“I look forward to laying out the Republican case of how our ideas can help people close the gap between their dreams and the opportunities to realize them,” Rubio responded in a statement.

Speculation about a possible Rubio run in 2016 for president continues to grow, and other names being mentioned are Rand Paul, Paul Ryan and Jeb Bush. Within the GOP a consensus is developing that the Party needs to engage in more effective outreach to the Hispanic, African, and Asian American communities.

Newscast Media HOUSTON, Texas—As Republicans get closer to the GOP convention that will be taking place in Tampa, Florida between August 27-30, the list of possible running mates keeps getting smaller as politicians scheduled to speak are announced. The names to watch are, Chris Christie and Marco Rubio, with a very high likelihood of Marco Rubio being chosen as VP.

Today, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus announced the second list of headliners addressing the Republican National Convention August 27-30. The speakers are:

* Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, 43rd governor of Florida and current
chairman of the Foundation for Florida’s Future;

* Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, the first woman to serve as both Oklahoma
lieutenant governor and governor, and the first woman elected to Congress
from Oklahoma since the 1920s;

* U.S. Senator Rand Paul, junior senator from Kentucky and founder of the U.S.
Senate Tea Party Caucus; and

* Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, 2012 presidential primary candidate, and
U.S. Senator (1995-2007) and U.S. Representative (1991-1995) from
Pennsylvania.

“I am thrilled to announce Governor Bush, Governor Fallin, Senator Paul and Senator Santorum will address our convention,” said Priebus. “As our party unites around Governor Romney, these four great leaders will lend their voices in support of his vision to get America back on track.”

“Governors Bush and Fallin, and Senators Paul and Santorum are among our party’s most respected leaders, and their participation at the Republican Convention will help generate enthusiasm for Governor Romney’s plans to strengthen our economy,” said convention Chief Executive Officer William Harris.

Just yesterday, the first group of speakers at the convention were announced and the names included:

* South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, the first female governor of South Carolina and the youngest sitting governor in the United States;

* Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, the 44th governor of Arkansas and 2008 presidential candidate is a NY Times best-selling author, radio and television show host;

* Ohio Governor John Kasich, former House Budget Committee chairman;

* New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, the first female Hispanic governor in the U.S. and the first female governor of New Mexico;

* Arizona Senator John McCain, the party’s 2008 nominee, now serving his fifth term in the U.S. Senate;

* Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, America’s 66th secretary of state and the first African-American female to hold the position; and

* Florida Governor Rick Scott, from the convention host state.

Meanwhile, the Republican Party of Texas Chairman nominated George P. Bush to be the Deputy Finance Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. In an interview with ABC, the 36-year old nephew of former president George W. Bush stressed that the Republican party had to be inclusive if it is to succeed in getting out the vote.

Given Romney’s great respect for the Bush family, and also the public declaration of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush that Marco Rubio should be picked as Romney’s VP, and given the recent Ted Cruz win in Texas, I discern that it will indeed be Marco Rubio, and if wrong, this journalist will be willing to admit the error. For now my discernment says, a Romney-Rubio ticket will soon be unveiled.

According to Univision insiders and the Republican senator’s staff, the network allegedly said if Rubio appeared on Al Punto —Univision’s national television show where the topic of immigration would likely be discussed — then the story of his brother-in-law’s troubles would be softened or might not run at all.

The five GOP candidates who are boycotting the debate are: Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Jon Huntsman, Rick Perry, and Mitt Romney all of whom have issued statements saying that Univision must respond directly to charges that it promised to spike a story about a decades-old drug bust involving a relative of Rubio if the senator would appear on its program “Al Punto,” a show known for its advocacy for extreme pro-illegal immigration positions.

Newscast Media — Another important victory was delivered by Marco Rubio on election night with 21 percent of the precincts reporting Marco Rubio with 50 percent of the vote, Crist with 29 percent and Meek with 20 percent.

Crist a former Republican lost the nomination and chose to run as an independent against his party’s wishes.